Rubio calls on Russia to be more transparent about plague lab worker
Geneva — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Russia to be more "transparent" about the recent death of a plague research center scientist and any risks associated with the incident, which Russian authorities have offered conflicting information about this week.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the public health risk in Russia and Europe was considered low after the incident in Russia's far-eastern Siberia region.
Lindmeier said Russian authorities had identified all people who came into contact with the worker from the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, who has been identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, before she died and that none had symptoms associated with plague.
Lindmeier said her "illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection," but that Russian authorities "are looking into whether pneumonic plague caused her death."
"WHO is following the situation closely, working with headquarters to keep other countries informed," he said, and is ready to help Russian authorities if they seek assistance.
The agency said she was not diagnosed with plague, but died of "pneumonia of unknown etiology," suggesting doctors didn't know the exact germ that made her sick.
Rospotrebnadzor said Monday that an analysis of samples from Shipilova revealed no microorganisms associated with her work, which involved handling dangerous pathogens at the lab.
The agency said Tuesday that many of her close contacts, having been brought in for screening, were allowed to go back home. It said some cold and flu infections, including several COVID-19 cases, were discovered, but nothing more sinister.
"We're looking at it very strongly, we just heard about it," he said. "They call it pneumonia, and pneumonia, you know, years ago you could treat pneumonia easier, and the microbes and the germs have gotten stronger disproportionately. But we'll help them."
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- Geneva — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Russia to be more "transparent" about the recent death of a plague research center scientist and any risks associated with the incident, which Russian authorities have offered conflicti
- The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the public health risk in Russia and Europe was considered low after the incident in Russia's far-eastern Siberia region.
- Lindmeier said Russian authorities had identified all people who came into contact with the worker from the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, who has been identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, before she died and that none had symptoms as
- Lindmeier said her "illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection," but that Russian authorities "are looking into whether pneumonic plague caused her death."
- "WHO is following the situation closely, working with headquarters to keep other countries informed," he said, and is ready to help Russian authorities if they seek assistance.